Presidency blasts Atiku over US petitions against Tinubu

Nigeria's Presidency has strongly condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's reported lobbying efforts in the United States concerning a 1993 civil forfeiture case against President Bola Tinubu. The Presidency described Abubakar's move as an affront to Nigeria's sovereignty and an attempt to externalize domestic politics.

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It is baffling and disappointing that someone who has sought the presidency for over three decades now resorts to reporting the President of Nigeria to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress.

In a statement, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the 1993 case was resolved over 30 years ago without any criminal conviction. Onanuga criticized Abubakar for resorting to reporting the Nigerian President to US President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress, deeming it inappropriate and undermining of Nigeria's dignity and independence. "Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of any foreign power," the statement read.

The Presidency asserted that Nigerians had already settled the matter through the ballot in the 2023 elections and subsequent Supreme Court affirmations. "That verdict stands, and Atiku’s latest fishing expedition would amount to nought," Onanuga stated, while also drawing attention to Abubakar's own legal history in the United States, including a 2010 Senate investigation into his use of offshore companies to bring suspect funds into the US.

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Reporting the President of Nigeria to another country’s leader is not only inappropriate but also undermines the nation’s dignity and independence. Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a satellite of any foreign power.

Onanuga questioned Abubakar's standing to criticize Tinubu, citing the former Vice President's own alleged involvement in a "privatisation heist" during his tenure, which he claimed led to job losses and unpaid benefits. The Presidency also suggested that Abubakar should clarify his own legal standing in the US, given his reported spending of $1.2 million on American lobbyists.

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Nigerians resolved this matter at the ballot in February 2023 and in the Supreme Court. That verdict stands, and Atiku’s latest fishing expedition would amount to nought.